It seems that after the severe trouncing both at the national as well as the state level in the recently concluded Lok Sabha polls, Maharashtra Government (Congress plus NCP) has been shaken up from their deep slumber of years of poor governance. As the assembly elections are imminent ahead, the alliance partners have come into action on crafting out plans to tone down the anti-incumbency factor and look for a revival to win back its traditional vote bank.

On 25th June 2014, Wednesday
the Congress-NCP government in Maharashtra
approved 16 per cent reservation for Marathas and 5 per cent for
Muslims in government jobs and educational institutions.

In
Focus

It looks as if the ruling government has nothing to
offer its electorate other than doles and sops. Till now, it is a
popular belief that political parties in a democratic set up can
survive and succeed simply by promising special considerations and
facilities to a larger section of the society. But how can they
ignore the prior homework to be done for providing such dispensation
which is also needed to sustain them?

Will the above reservation policy earn the fruits
that the parties are looking for?

Because there are two factors - will the new quota
system withstand the legal scrutiny? And will these sops make up for
yearlong pitiable governance.

The reservation proposal can be challenged on two
grounds. The Constitution doesn't allow reservation on the basis of
religion and discriminatory and arbitrarily selected community. And
secondly, it exceeds the quota limit in view of the Supreme Court
judgment of 50 per cent cap on reservations.

There were similar cases on part of other state
governments, which couldn't pass through the judicial assessment.
Tamil Nadu's move to exceed the 50 per cent cap is pending before a
Constitution bench. Even earlier attempt of 4.5 per cent sub-quota
for Muslims on part of the Congress before Lok Sabha polls and
assembly polls in five states last year was rejected by the apex
court.

So looking at the instances in past for similar
efforts on part of state governments to woo their loyal voters, it is
quite clear that these announcements are mere doles and sops to dupe
the said communities.

Again the question which arises here is what you did
in your decade old rule for this so called deprived society? Is it
just to fool them that you are saying, "We are trying but the
Courts are not allowing!" Indian voters are more matured nowadays
and are not going to fall in such traps.

So looking at the past instances of similar efforts
on part of the state governments to woo their loyal voters, it is
quite clear that these announcements are mere doles or sops to dupe
the said communities. Seeing the legality of the reservation, it is a
clear step to befool the community/race for the time-being in an
effort to get votes.

This is not going to sustain, neither among the
targeted voters nor in the judiciary. Whether it will help it to win
back its loyal voters or not is a different thought altogether.

There are many other potential issues that are very
close to common man. For instance, there are at least two vital
issues that even after getting presidential nod are still pending for
a decision for implementation.

One is a long standing demand of fee regulation act
in private schools to bring relief to the plight of parents who are
sending their kids to the private schools and second is, creating a
housing regulatory authority that aims to end the hassle of a common
man who is taken into ride by errant and influential builders.

Also, there are many other issues as well, which
could have worked upon. But resolving them would be difficult as
compared to promising doles.

I feel the Congress has not learnt lessons from the
severe setbacks. Gone are the days of doing such foolish things. The
common man from every community/race can now calculate the supposed
benefits from the ever increasing reservations quota.

Public has become much smarter these days. So
whether this announcement would help in garnering sympathy for the
ruling government or not?only results of the upcoming Assembly
polls can answer it.

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